A San Diego Superior Court judge Monday rejected a claim by parents in the Encinitas elementary school system that teaching yoga in the schools is an improper attempt at religious indoctrination. The ruling by Judge John Meyer, who heard the case without a jury, means that the Encinitas Union School District can continue to teach yoga as part of its health and exercise curriculum. Dean Broyles, attorney for the Escondido-based National Center for Law and Policy, had filed a lawsuit on behalf of an Encinitas family with two children in the school system seeking to have the program ousted as a violation of state law prohibiting the teaching of religion in public schools.

I have little sympathy for folks like Stephen and Jennifer Sedlock, devout Christians who sued the Encinitas Union School District, claiming that teaching yoga to their kids twice a week amounted to unconstitutional religious indoctrination. Despite the quasi-spiritual trappings, yoga, as it's widely practiced by millions of Americans of all faiths, is no instrument of religious indoctrination. It's exercise. In Encinitas, it's being taught to kids in an effort to reduce bullying, obesity and overcompetitiveness.

The practice is ancient, the wounds are modern. Yoga is now being practiced at Naval Medical Center San Diego and other military and VA hospitals to help Marines, soldiers, sailors and others wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. The goal is to strengthen muscles and bolster confidence. "Let your body give notice: You're going to ask it to be active again," said yoga instructor Barbara Lyon at the end of a session. Studies say it's working. Preliminary military studies have found that the calming effect of yoga can assist PTSD patients in dealing with the hypervigilance, flashbacks, depression and anxiety common to the condition.

SAN DIEGO - Army 1st Sgt. Chris Montera, who lost both legs above the knee and suffered third-degree burns over 60% of his body in a mortar attack in Afghanistan, is doing a headstand, guided by yoga instructor Sunny Keays. "It takes a lot of pressure off my back and spine," said Montera, 33, who was on his fourth combat tour when he was hurt. "It helps with the pain. " Marine Sgt. James Bernard, 25, who returned from combat in Helmand province in Afghanistan with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder, is going through a series of stretching, relaxing and breathing exercises nearby, under the gentle guidance of yoga instructor Barbara Lyon.

Christine Day, chief executive officer of fitness-wear purveyor Lululemon, is stepping down, it was announced on Monday. Day led the company through a period of explosive growth. But it isn't clear if her departure has anything to do with the firm's costly recall earlier this year of too-sheer yoga pants. [WWD] (Subscription required.) Jason Wu, who designed both of Michelle Obama's inauguration gowns, has been named artistic director for women's wear at Hugo Boss. He'll keep his eponymous label too. [Telegraph]

Sadly, I'm here to report that even vodka has its limitations. To lap it up much before 7 a.m. still carries a certain Victorian stigma, and the better octanes seem beyond my pocketbook. I consider it both a health food and a holy water, and it bothers me to see vodka used recreationally, as it so often is these days. It is also overpriced, raising my innate sense of injustice and causing me to rant at two of my favorite targets: farmers and politicians (both dirty). Now what do I do with my life?

The bendy brilliance attained by practicing yoga has become a treasure sought after by many Americans. Hindu monks brought the 5,000-year-old practice to the West in the late 19th century, and by the mid-1980s, yoga was heralded as a way to cultivate strength, mindfulness and calm. And as yoga has gained popularity, newfangled ways of practicing have emerged. Love the ocean? Had a few too many Appletinis last night? Want to be surrounded by "bro" energy? There's a class for you. It seems only natural that people who practice yoga will combine it with other interests.

As you stretch into warrior pose and inhale and exhale, you're not just stretching those hamstrings and lungs; you're also doing good for your brain with a practice that can stave off or relieve problems such as stress, depression and anxiety. Yoga "gives some sense of sanity," says Sat Bir Khalsa, a neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "You're no longer washed away by the avalanche of your emotions. You are more in control. " Yoga practice can also lower heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure, and may make people less sensitive to pain.

Think they'll be doing yoga at Coachella this week and next? If not, there's always Yoga in the City. It's a chance to roll out your mat, breathe deeply and participate in community happenings from Southern California to New York City. Music, speakers and veteran yoga teachers lead outdoor events that are oh-so-accessible for urban dwellers -- and free. The deal: The Wanderlust Festival , organizers of serious four-day fests that meld yoga, music and wellness, sponsors the four city events that last about half a day. You must register online (click "Yoga in the City" Events for whatever city you want)

They just keep coming and coming and coming. Not illegal immigrants. Yoga scandals. Last week, it was Lululemon Athletica's “Pantsgate.” This week, it's a sexual harassment lawsuit against Choudhury, father to the Los Angeles-based hot yoga movement. Sarah Baughn, a former student, has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging that for more than four years, Choudhury sexually harassed her and humiliated her in front of other students.